In 1997 the Vatican granted permission for funeral Masses to be celebrated with the cremated remains of an individual at the discretion of each diocesan bishop. Though allowing Catholics to choose cremation, the Catholic Church “clearly prefers and urges that the body of the deceased be present for the funeral rites, since the presence of the human body better expresses the values which the Church affirms in those rites” (Order of Christian Burial appendix II). In addition to fully expressing the Church’s belief in the resurrection of the body, the presence of the body at the funeral allows the friends and family of the deceased to enter into the grieving process in a way that is substantively different than with the cremated remains. Therefore, those opting to have cremation are strongly encouraged to have the body of the deceased present at the funeral, with cremation and burial to follow in the next couple of days.

By civil and Church law, cremated remains cannot be spread or buried in any place other than a designated cemetery or columbarium. Therefore, prior to funeral services being held at Saint John the Baptist Church, arrangements must be made for the burial of the cremated remains. For more information please visit http://www.catholic-cemeteries.org/cremation.aspx.

Please note that many cremation groups do not offer the full services of a funeral home, and families opting to use this service will have to make additional arrangements with the Parish of Saint John the Baptist themselves. Please contact the parish office for more information.